Heavy rains wash out portions of highway in Rakhine State
12 June 18 - Part of the road connecting Ann, Taunggok, and Tandwe townships in Rakhine State has been washed out by heavy rains in the area, a local Fire Services Department official said on Monday.
U Kyaw Naing, a senior official of the Fire Services Department in Ann, said heavy rains during the past few days caused flooding and landslides that destroyed the road.
He said that over 100 feet of road between Ann and Tandwe have been destroyed.
"We already sent the rescue teams and there have been no injuries as far as we know," U Kyaw Naing said.
According to the residents, the landslides and floods occur every year in the same area of the highway, which is the main route to southern Rakhine and the capitals of Sittwe and the Kyaukphyu townships.
U Zaw Lin Aung, a resident of Ann, said there is still heavy rain in the area and many passenger buses and cargo trucks have been stranded due to the damaged road.
"The road may be impassable in next few days if the rain does not stop. There have been no efforts to rebuild the highway but the rescue team is there on standby," he said.
He added that passengers have been transferred by a rescue team to the other side of the damaged road where passenger buses are waiting but the goods on cargo trucks are still stranded.
Source: Myanmar Times
